FIRST WALKIES

[PennyB]

I let Ruby and Wilf off the lead as soon as they were able to be put down on the ground. If you stand in the middle of a huge field or park—anything big really—and they tend to keep quite close to you (as in theory they've bonded with you). Take lots of treats and may be a favorite ball or tug toy and practise recalling them often and use the treats or toy (to play a game with them) as a treat for coming back. Some owners (hands up) also play hide and seek round trees etc. so that they will keep an eye on you (in theory) as they don't want you to run off!


Praise them madly when they come back and never tell them off if they run off or are difficult to get back as when you get them back eventually they may start to think that they will get told off if they do!                    

[Shirley]

Praise them madly when they come back and never tell them off if they run off or are difficult to get back as when you get them back eventually they may start to think that they will get told off if they do!

   Yes, you get some strange looks when you are swearing in a cheerful manner.  Morgan has run off a couple of time and each time he comes back he thinks I'm telling him how wonderful it is to see him again and what a good boy he is.  If he understood english he'd know that the language is a little more colourful than that .  It is important not to put them off coming back though, so grit your teeth and smile.

Morgan has always been pretty good off leash.  Only had problems when we met other dogs and he found them more interesting than me - a squeaky toy taken on our walk for a couple of weeks solved the problem and now he's really good even without the squeaky  .                    

[T]

Hands are up! Hands are up!  
We either stop or hide from Charlie-Spud (8 mths) when he's off the lead ... it does makes him stop & come back as he wonders where we are!
We only let him off the lead in secure areas and have to put the lead on him quite a way before the car park or road as we've had a couple of scares where we think he picks up his own scent and knows he's on the way back to the car and runs, and runs, and RUNS!!!   Mega stomach flips or what!!!
But recall during the walk with treats and a big fuss are getting better & better!
Found the same probs with extendables as well, from pulling to burns!! Ouch!                    

[PennyB]

Changing directions can also work sometimes if they are trying your patience (especially when they get more confident as they get older). Sometimes Ruby pre-empts where I'm going and charges off (especially if its somewhere she loves, like the long grass field or the river) so I begin to walk either the opposite way or try to take a slightly different route.